1. Field
The embodiments relate to non-volatile memory, and more particularly to increasing performance of flash memory operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-volatile memory is a type of memory that can retain data and information without needing a power source applied. Typically this type of memory is referred to as “flash” memory or electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). Flash memory is used in various types of devices, such as personal computers (PCs), notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones, digital cameras, etc. Most flash memories only guarantee a limited number of erase and re-write cycles.
With flash memory, data can be written in bytes and erased in blocks of memory. The blocks of memory typically vary between vendors and can range from 256 bytes to 1 Mbyte in size. Some platform architectures use a limited number of flash memory blocks as additional memory space, or “scratch” space. These blocks can be considered as cache memory for frequently used data.